THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 271 



slender and delicate, that to prevent an injury in removing them i8 

 almost next to impossible. Neither is it desirable to do so, for when 

 once started again, they make rapid progress, and are all the better 

 for not receiving any check. Employ a moderately heavy soil for 

 them to bloom in ; one half of good loam, and the remaining half 

 some turfy soil, well mixed together. Place a neatly-trimmed stake 

 for the leader of each plant, which is all the training they require, 

 for to give more is to spoil their beauty, and if they do require it, it 

 is sure and certain evidence that the culture has not been good, 

 or they would not want it. They must have no pinchiug, but 

 abundauce of fresh air when the thermometer stands above 35°. 

 When introduced amongst the first batch of pelargoniums aud 

 other spring flowers, they are very effective. 



ANTIRRHINUMS AND PENTSTEMONS. 



BT AN AMATEUR FLORIST. 



INCE the reaction which has taken place in favour of 



hardy flowers, the two classes of plants named at the 



head of these remarks have increased in popularity 



to a wonderful extent, and to speak of the beauty of 



these flowers, or otherwise extol their merits, would be 



entirely out of place. This being the case, the cultural details can 



be dealt with, and the names of a few of the best sorts indicated 



without further preface. The improvement which has been effected 



within the last few years in the flowers of both classes, has been very 



marked, and it might be said with safety that all sent out more than 



four or five years since are quite surpassed, and to buy them would 



be little less than a waste of money. The principal improvements 



we have to boast of are in the main due to the efforts of Messrs. 



Downie, Laird, and Laing, of Stanstead Park Nurseries, Eorest 



Hill. Messrs. E. Gr. Henderson and Son, of St. John's Wood, have 



assisted in the good work by raising a series of dwarf-growino- 



Antirrhinums that are certainly most valuable for flower- warden 



decoration and for pot-culture. The Continental florists have also 



paid considerable attention to the Pentstemon, and have sent us 



over some good varieties ; but the flowers of most of the continental 



varieties are too short in the tube, in proportion to their size to 



satisfy the florist. The varieties raised at Forest Hill are free from 



this defect, and after looking at W. E. Gumbleton, and Stanstead Rival, 



two varieties sent out from thence during last spring, I have almost 



come to the conclusion that further improvement is impossible. A 



set of new varieties is sent out from the above-mentioned nurseries 



every spring, all more or less good, and from those sent out in the 



3pring of the present year, the following are such as no grower of Pent- 



stemons should be without, namely : — Colonel Long, claret crimson 



white throat, delicately pencilled ; Delicatissimum, pure white tinted 



with bright pink ; George Amer, purplish maroon, with white throat 



richly tinted with dark crimson ; John Wilson, bright rosy crimson' 



